Between the Liner Notes
Jamie Slocum Says 'Hello to Heaven'
By Heidi Krumenauer
Guest Writer for CBNmusic
CBN.com
– Don’t be surprised when you turn on your favorite country radio station and you hear the DJ say: “…and that was Jamie Slocum.” Known as a successful Christian music artist with a couple albums under his belt, even Slocum was surprised when his new single “Say Hello to Heaven” created such a stir.
“I was visiting some country music radio stations, and they started playing my song. People were calling the station, saying: ‘That was so powerful!’”, he says. And that’s all it took to create frenzy.
“Say Hello to Heaven”, featured on Slocum’s MySpace Web site, was getting 900 plays a day. Even with a planned release date in February for country music stations, it became such a big hit on MySpace that the record label started to sell it on iTunes even sooner. Slocum’s fans couldn’t get enough of it. And that’s exactly how Slocum felt, too, the first time he heard it.
Slocum didn’t write the song, but it certainly struck a chord with him when it came across his desk. “It’s a song about a guy who loses his wife in a drunk driving accident. He’s saying: ‘Lord, I know my wife’s in a better place, but please help me to forgive the guy in the other car,’” Slocum says. “It’s one of those songs that you don’t have to be a fan of Christian, pop or country music. It’s universal…everyone can relate to it.”
Even Slocum.
“A few years ago, my aunt lost her son in a drunk driving accident and then lost another son a couple years later to the same kind of accident,” he explains. “Even though it’s not the same exact situation as my song, a lot of people relate to it. Drunk driving is an epidemic that doesn’t get talked about a lot. It really feels good to have a song that means something, and even more it feels good to help people…that maybe they’ll stay away from drinking. Maybe this song will help others in their healing process.”
Slocum sees “Say Hello to Heaven” as the glue that holds his new album together. “I had just finished recording my new album, and when I got to the end of it, it felt like something was absent. I really think this song is the missing piece and is exactly what my album needed.”
Still untitled, Slocum’s new album will be released later this year, most likely sometime this summer. Even though the album is primarily comprised of country songs, Slocum’s hopeful that it will cross over into other music markets. “Hey, the more the merrier,” he says. “If it gets played on gospel or pop radio stations, that’s great. It’s a powerful universal message that will touch so many people. I’d be thrilled to see that happen!”
So, beyond his potential hit song and new album, who is Jamie Slocum?
“I’m an honest guy. When you see me perform on stage, that’s the guy I really am. I hope people would say they can relate to me and I’m the kind of guy who’d be their good friend (laughs). And I hope they’d say I’m a really good singer!”
Slocum’s quick to add that his spirituality also defines him. “I want people to know that I put God and my family first. The biggest thing I do is say, ‘OK, Lord, you’re the captain of my ship, and I need You to guide me where You want me to go.”
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